The Will to Survive
by lyokomegas4
Summary: After experiencing a torrential down-pour of trauma, two brothers relocate from their home in West Virginia to Ashland, Oregon. They are entirely unaware that their future home is haunted by a rustic evil. An evil that was defeated by their neighbors approximately 2 years ago. Slight AU where the small door leads to another apartment instead of a crawlspace. Based on the film.
1. Extensive Travel

James looked over at his younger sibling, whom was resting his head against the finger-printed window of the bus. The boy looked absolutely exhausted. There was no doubt as to why. They had just completed an extensive duration of travel. It consisted of a several hour-long flight from West Virginia to Oregon. To make matters worse, they were forced to travel on land by a rather crowded bus liner. However, it was much cheaper than a cab, which would have cost them far more. Thankfully, the bus station was only a few miles from their destination. From there, they would call for a taxi. James was eager to finally rest for a day. This journey had become highly exhausting, and it had began to wear on the young man's nerves. Thankfully, they had a few weeks to prepare for the upcoming school days since they had to get themselves situated first. The vehicle passed by the endless trees of the interstate, and it soon began to become a repetitive blur. How he wished he could entertain himself somehow. On long rides like this his mind raced. That was the downside of being a freakish genius. He began to pass the time by identifying the material that other people's travel bags were made of. He had odd habits like that, but it was better than nothing. The bus must have hit a pothole or some other obstacle, for it made a noticeable lurch. His brother stirred, and slowly rose his head. The younger boy said, "James? Are we there yet?" James merely grunted, saying, "Go back to sleep short-stop. We aren't there yet." The younger boy rose his blanket up to his chin. It was slightly chilly on the bus, and the younger boy was using their only blanket. James said, "It should not be much longer until we reach the bus station." The younger boy looked up and said, "Aren't you cold?" James merely shook his head, saying, "Winter weather doesn't really get to me that much short-stop. You should know this." His younger brother said, "Can't you just call me Elijah?" James didn't answer. Elijah put his head on a pillow he had, and they sat in silence for some time. The city of Ashland came into view on the horizon, and it wasn't long before they entered the city. James looked around, admiring the various architectures of the buildings. It certainly was much different than West Virginia.

Elijah tugged at his sleeve, and James turned towards him, eyebrow raised. The younger boy pointed at something out of the window, and the bus station soon became visible. The massive machine turned into the garage, engulfing the aisles and seats in darkness. Several of the passengers had become restless and were beginning to stir from their sleep. The vehicle rolled up to a pair of doors on a curb, and came to a complete stop. A monotonous droning voice spoke on the PA, telling the passengers to disembark off of the bus. James was glad they didn't bring much with them. Not that they had much. They were able to place their luggage in the overhead storage compartment they had so little. Elijah rolled up his pillow and blanket, placing them inside of his suitcase. The two brothers rose from their seats, and shuffled along with the sleepy crowd out from the warmth of the bus and into the cold of the winter air. They walked inside the doors to the administration area,where they proceeded to get their hands and feet warm. Elijah looked tired. He definitely wanted to sleep. James was tired as well. Elijah said, "Can we go get some food?" James shook his head. Elijah groaned softly, and James said, "We are low on money, you whining runt. Silence yourself." Elijah stopped talking, not wanting to incite his brother's wrath. James said to Elijah, "Stay here, don't move, and remain quiet. I am going to go use a phone to get a cab. We are lucky we got here when we did. The land-lady told us she would have a key waiting for us under the stairs in an envelope." Elijah nodded, and remained silent. James rose from his chair and went to the nearby pay phone. Dialing the number, he managed to get a hold of the taxi service, and the man over the phone told him it would be ten minutes. Putting down the receiver, he returned to Elijah, grabbing his wrist. James said, "Come on. We have ten minutes before they get here." The brothers walked outside with their bags, waiting for the driver.

When one is waiting for the taxi in decent weather, time goes by normally. When waiting for it in very cold weather, time drags by. The two brothers stood there, getting increasingly cold as the minutes passed. Elijah had wrapped the blanket around himself again, trying to shield his frigid body from the frosty air. It had started to snow, and that only made matters worse. Even James had began to feel the effects, when the cab chugged into view. The driver pulled up and asked, "You rang?" James nodded, and Elijah proceeded to get in the back seat, while James placed their luggage into the trunk. James placed himself in the front passenger side, and the driver pulled off the curb. The drive was rather silent, nobody saying anything for the majority of the drive. The driver coughed once then said, "You know, the place you're going to is really old. It's one of the older buildings in this city. It's sort of on the outskirts, kind of rural." James nodded and said, "Oh really?" The driver said,"Yeah. I don't really know much about it, but apparently it was originally a single, massive house. Technically, it was a mansion in it's prime." James nodded again. He then said, "Interesting. I like historical facts. Good to know it is still there." The driver said, "Apparently, it's slightly banged up, but still holds strong."James laughed. The conversation was brought short when the driver pulled up to a rather old looking stone path. James and Elijah could see their destination. James said, "So...This is the Pink Palace Apartments?" The driver said, "Yes indeed. Looks more grey than pink I think." Elijah seemed a bit stunned. He didn't really like the way it looked. It looked old and boring. James said to the driver, "Thank you sir. Here's your funding." He passed the money to the driver and exited the vehicle. The two brothers grabbed their belongings and the cab pulled off.

James trudged up the path, and gazed at the area surrounding the house. It was massive. A dilapidated barn/shed stood at one end, and what looked like a garden was on the other side. The building itself was in moderate disrepair, but it did have an air of comfort. They made their way up to the door, and there was a multi-directional signpost, each with different names on it. The signpost read three family names. Jones, Bobinsky, and Miriam/Forcible. Apparently, their flat was opposite the Jones' on the rear side of the house. The two brothers walked around the side of it in silence, taking in the scenery. It actually wasn't too bad. It was just...aged. Arriving to their flat, James looked around for the key, and proceeded to find it in the exact place where the land-lady said it would be. They entered through the door threshold, and were slightly taken aback. The flat was definitely much larger than they had expected. It was only single-story, but was indeed spacious. The kitchen was near the entrance, directly to the right. There was a sitting room to the left, and further down the hall to the right was the bathroom. At the end of the hall, was a room to the left and right, which James guessed were the bedrooms.

James calculated inside of his head and came to the conclusion that, in terms of space, the only flat smaller than the one they were in was the attic. However, it still possessed more than enough space for the two of them. Elijah took to the restroom immediately and James began to unpack. Thank goodness it didn't take long. James took a seat in the kitchen, looking around. The flat was clean, and it smelled nice. But everything inside was indeed old and worn. Elijah came out of the bathroom and said, "This place is so dull. But at least it is clean." James nodded in agreement. It was rather early in the morning still, and dawn was only beginning to break over the tree-line of the nearby woods. Elijah said, "Well, what do we do on our first day?" James merely sighed and said, "I'm not too sure. We don't have a television or anything of that sort here right now. It is very cold outside, and we have quite a bit of work to do around here." Elijah said, "Like what?" James scratched his chin and said, "Well, we have to get several forms of paperwork together. We can rest for a bit but within the next month we should be seeking getting back to school. I don't start my job for another two weeks. Money is going to be very tight until then. At the moment, we have enough to sustain our food needs until the job starts. There doesn't appear to be a washing machine or dryer here either, so we may have to rely on a laundromat." Elijah moaned like a child, not liking the sound of it. James merely gave him a glare, and Elijah shrank back. James said, "Regardless, I say we use today to rest up. Since we didn't bring much, it didn't take long to unpack." Elijah nodded in agreement. Elijah took the pillow and blanket, and lied down in the bedroom he claimed. James grabbed his black turnout coat and observed it, the white stripes reflecting the dim light from outside. It was the only item he had left from his grandfather, whom had passed away years earlier. He loved that coat. He put it on and went to lie down in his bed, across the hallway from Elijah's room, and drifted off.


	2. Unspoken Affection

James woke up several hours later. According to the daylight and position of the sun, he concluded that it was approximately three to four P.M. Elijah had already awoken, and was busy exploring the house, trying to remain as quiet as possible. James rose from the bed and slightly opened the window, feeling the chilly breeze flow in. It was still cold outside. Elijah was busy making his bed with what little sheets he had. James began to wish he brought more. However, he had decided that if they were going to do anything at all, they would probably need to head to a local store soon to get a temporary ration of food and supplies. Elijah saw him awake and said, "Hey bro! Are you feeling alright?" James did not answer, merely grunting. Elijah got a slightly sad look on his face, to which James responded, "Come. Accompany me to the store. We must gather supplies and food rations, at least to last us tonight." Elijah said in response, "Could I stay here instead?" James gave a silent stare at his brother, and the young sibling immediately picked up his jacket, walking to the door. James followed Elijah out of the door threshold, locking it behind him. The outside air had warmed considerably from earlier. James lumbered forward, leading the way like usual. They had noticed a silver Volkswagen that was not there before. Elijah said, "Whose do you think that is?" James said, "I am not certain. Perhaps it is one of the neighbors'?" Elijah said, "Oh I see." The boys continued on their way on the stone path. On their way past, a black cat meowed softly at them. It had large, ice-blue eyes. Elijah leaned down to offer his hand. The cat sniffed it, pawed it once, then walked away. Elijah wanted to follow it but James softly gripped his shoulder. The younger boy got the message and they continued walking. It was a decent walk before they actually saw any of the outskirts of Ashland. They must have walked for roughly half an hour to forty five minutes. Hope came to them in the form of a gas station on the side of the road. It was shabby looking, but it was definitely better than nothing.

James led his brother to the inside of the building, thankful to be out of the chilly air. The warmth of the station washed over them, as they observed the inside of the building. It was very plain-looking. Thankfully the items were well-organized. They quickly gathered the items. They purchased a small number of canned foods, along with some toilet tissue and paper towels. The clerk took the money, counted the change, and handed it over to the boys. James thanked the older man, and trudged with Elijah back outside. Due to the mild walk and the time it would take to get back, James knew by the time they got back it would be very close to sunset. It grew colder as the minutes passed, and soon they were once again out of sight of the gas station. Elijah broke the silence, "It seems like it is quiet around here. It's very peaceful. But do you think it will get boring?" James didn't answer, merely striding forward. Elijah said hopefully, "I can't wait to meet our neighbors." James could hear the tone, and he said, "I'm sure you will make friends." Elijah said, "What about you?" James said, "I do not require such things." Elijah said, "Come on. You never know." James said, "I am indifferent. I have too much to focus on." Elijah said nothing, knowing that tone all too well. The two felt the wind pick up, and it definitely grew much colder. Elijah always wondered how James was so stone-like in the cold and heat. It was unnatural. Elijah felt his teeth begin to chatter.

The rest of the walk only grew progressively worse. When Elijah finally got in the door, the heat from the furnace was not enough to warm him up. James saw this, and said, "Toughen up runt. Do some push-ups. That will get your blood flowing." Elijah didn't answer, only sitting on his bed, shivering. Silently, James left his brother inside, telling him, "Do not leave the house." Elijah tried to say something, but James had already opened the door and was outside. James took a moment to observe the nearest place where he would be able to find some wood. He ventured up through the encroaching darkness. It was dusk, and he knew he wouldn't have long to collect the necessary materials. Good thing he was a genius. He quickly gathered two stones that he knew would create a spark, and proceeded to rip off several branches from trees. He didn't have enough time to fashion together a cutting utensil. He would have to make due with the time he had. If he had more time, he could simply chop several decent-sized hunks of wood with his bare hands. It was nice to be strong and smart. All of that work over the years paid off. He must have worked for more than an hour, for when he was finished, the sun had officially set and it was difficult to see through the woods. If not for the lights of the large apartment building, he may very well have been wandering the woods for hours. He didn't totally mind though. The work gave him time to clear his mind. He enjoyed the night-time. However, he knew Elijah was cold. And he did not want to hear the youngster complain anymore than he had.

James worked his way back to the Apartment building, the lights and windows becoming more visible with every step he took. He was thankful he only had a moderate-sized load of materials. It was not very difficult getting the wood in through the door. He said out loud, "Short-stop, come and assist me." The younger sibling did not appear. James approached the sitting room and gently placed the wood on the floor. He said once more, "Elijah. I could really use a hand." Still nothing once more. James marched towards the young man's room, saying, "Runt. I will not ask again." James stopped when he saw why Elijah had not come. The youngster had fallen asleep, and just like James instructed him, he had indeed not moved from the spot he was in. James' face softened. He sighed, and walked over to the sleeping child. He ruffled the boy's hair and felt how cold he was. He slipped Elijah's arms over his shoulders into a fireman carry, and carried him into the sitting room. James gently placed his brother on the floor, and went back to the bedroom, retrieving the youngster's pillow and blanket. James placed Elijah's head on the pillow and tucked the blanket under his frigid frame.

The older sibling proceeded to place the wood in the fireplace of the sitting room, using the stones to create a spark. It worked, and the warmth of the flames spread over them. James had carefully collected enough wood to keep the fire ablaze for the next twelve hours. James pulled his turnout coat around him, sitting with his back against the wall. He leaned his head back, the soft crackling of the fire provoking his thoughts. This first day had indeed presented its own set of challenges. They would need to adapt quickly. He looked over at his younger sibling, whom was smiling in his sleep. James couldn't help but wonder what the youngster was dreaming of. It was most likely some happy memory from the past. James lowered his head, and began to slowly drift off into unconsciousness. James knew that tomorrow they would have to collect more firewood. The furnace would also need to be inspected. James knew that there must have been something wrong with it. It was not warming the flat like it should have. James finally lost his senses, and exhaustion overtook him far more severely than the nap he had taken earlier. He lost consciousness altogether, reuniting with sleep.


	3. Rough Around the Edges

The morning had not been going well for the brothers at all. It started with James inspecting the furnace, only for him to discover that it was in disrepair. It seemed as if nobody had lived in this flat for a while. The time of it not being used and the corrosion of the wiring meant that he would have to fix it. He knew that he would have to talk to the Land-Lady. After learning the source of that problem, it only got worse from there. As if the faulty furnace wasn't enough, they discovered the plumbing was also causing problems, causing condensation that had been forming for years in several parts of the house. James groaned at the thought. The pipes weren't going to be the problem. It was the mold that he didn't like. He was highly allergic to mold, and the thought made him shiver. Luckily however, he would be able to use a natural remedy for it. He knew of several ways to stop the condensation. Using the rest of the morning, he and Elijah inspected the remainder of the home and were happy that there were no other issues. After peeling back the overall condition of the home, it would only need moderate repair. It was much better than some of the places they had resided in the past. The two had worked all morning, not stepping foot outside of their flat. However, as the noon approached, they knew they would need to collect more firewood for the pit. Begrudgingly, they ate some soup from a can, and proceeded to step outside and off the porch. James spoke first, "Behave yourself. If we happen to meet anybody, be respectful and watch your tone." Elijah nodded and they stepped onto the stone sidewalk. The cool morning air was not as sharp as it had been yesterday, and they were thankful for that. Elijah seemed enamored by the enormous size of the garden space. It was hard to tell just how many plants they could put there. James looked over and saw a tree stump beside a section of the barn. James wondered for a brief moment what had happened to it.

Beyond the barn, James could see a patch of woods that led to seemingly infinite nowhere. Elijah looked over and saw a path that appeared to lead up a hill. The younger boy looked up to his brother with pleading eyes, wanting to go explore it. James eyed the path silently. Elijah said, "Can I go see what's up the hill?" James merely stared at Elijah hard, before saying, "Get out of my sight runt." Elijah said, "Thank you." He then walked swiftly up the hill. As soon as his younger brother was out of sight, James said to himself, "He is so adventurous." The older boy smiled gently. He couldn't act so softly in front of Elijah however. It would make the boy cocky. James proceeded to look around by himself, and found a few collapsed branches from trees. He began to break them apart, piece by piece, placing them neatly in a stack he started. He continued doing this, making sure to steer clear of any poison oak or poison ivy he might see. It was quite easy work, and he soon found himself in that comforting pattern of working, which kept his mind vivid and focused. He had been working for quite some time, when he heard a peculiar sound. He stopped his work, and he heard it again. It was Elijah bellowing somewhere in the distance. James initially blew it off, thinking his brother was just pulling a prank. Sure enough, after a few minutes, things went silent. James laughed, thinking to himself, "Nice try Short-stop." However, after a few more minutes, he heard it again.

James was never one to panic, but they were in a rural area and they did not know what sort of creatures might be lurking out there. He stopped his work and quickly made his way up the path. It was a bit further than he had thought. Looking back, he was actually quite a fair distance from The Pink Palace. It certainly led up the hillside, that was for sure. James noticed as he ran up the path that there were several wood piles and fallen branches. He would come back to get some of it later. He silenced his breath and listened, waiting for any sign of Elijah. A loud sound pierced his ears. Was that a fog horn? He hurried off in the direction of the noise, his blood pressure keeping him warm against the frigid air. It had begun to storm, a slight rain replacing what should have been snow. James noted this was a very peculiar condition to occur during this time of year, and he put this thought aside. Ahead, he saw a sort of clearing. He saw Elijah being intimidated and terrorized by two hooligans whom were riding what looked like a home-made motorized bicycle. They were wearing masks over their faces, so James couldn't tell what they looked like. However, one voice was definitely feminine, the other masculine. The female was on the back seat of the bike, holding onto the male, making swats at Elijah and making loud yips. The male was screeching like an animal, and their bizarre behavior was indeed terrifying the younger sibling. Elijah didn't see him, and the two hooligans were too busy scaring the dickens out of his brother.

James wordlessly approached the racketing crowd, and kept silent. Elijah looked to be on the brink of sprinting away. James maneuvered himself in front of the hooligans at the last moment, back-handing the driver off the side of it. The male flew through the air, while the female screamed in horror as the bike kept going. It crashed on a rock, and she was sent flying, doing a front flip in the air and splashing in the mud. The male landed squarely on his face, groaning in pain. Elijah looked up, joy on his face. "Bro! Where did you come from?" James didn't answer, only looking at the hooligans. First at one, then the other. Some time passed, and the hooligans rose. The female spoke first. "Ow! You didn't have to hit so hard!" The male walked over to the female, and said, "Geez. You try to welcome a guy and you get back-handed." Elijah's temper had flared up. James said nothing. "Welcome? You call that welcoming someone? You scared me to death! Who wouldn't be scared of you two acting like feral animals?" The female began walking menacingly towards Elijah, as if she would thump him. The male held her back gently. He said, "Look. W-we got off on the wrong foot." James noticed his stutter. It was not bad, but it was noticeable. The masked male rose up his helmet, and revealed his face. He was a mixed, young male. He looked no younger than 13. He had a very noticeable slouch, and his body emanated signs of anxiety. He began to wring his hands. The female lifted her helmet, and James was a bit taken aback. She had a blunt, short haircut. Her hair was dyed blue, and she had mild freckles upon the sides of her cheeks. She must have been the dominant of the duo, for she seemed much more confident in her actions.

The mixed boy spoke once more. "I'm Wybie. Wybie Lovat." The female interjected with a smile towards him, "He's the village stalker." Wybie sighed, rolling his eyes. The female spoke once more, "I'm Coraline Jones." Wybie interjected, "Indeed, _Caroline_. That is what you were saddled with. Not very scientific ya' know." The girl made a face and punched Wybie in the shoulder. James and Elijah merely looked at them. Elijah broke the awkward silence. "Do you always greet people like that?" Coraline said, "Well, Wybie here welcomed me the same way. I guess it kind of stuck." Wybie laughed and said, "You should have seen the look on her face when I did." Coraline merely stuck her tongue out at him. She said defiantly, "I wasn't scared. It was just your cheese-smelling shoes." Wybie feigned a hurt look. Elijah looked slightly uncomfortable. Wybie noticed this and said, "Look, I'm sorry we scared you. We thought it would be funny." Coraline nodded, saying, "Yeah, it was an innocent prank." Elijah's face softened and said, "Well. Don't worry about it." James continued to say nothing. Coraline looked up at James, whom had not said a single word, and asked, "And who is this? Mr. Universe?" Elijah said, "My name is Elijah, and this is my brother James." Wybie held out a hand and said, "Pleasure to meet you James." The older sibling did not respond, merely looking down at the mixed boy. Coraline noticed this and said with a smile on her face, "Hey, can't you shake a man's hand?" James looked at the hand, and proceeded to take it in an iron grip. Wybie had to hold back a yelp of pain, as he thought his bones would be crushed. James released after one brief shaking motion.

Elijah could sense the tension. James clearly did not like these people. However, Elijah did. He thought they were unique. He said, "Well, we have a lot of work to do around the house, and we need to finish gathering the firewood." Wybie said, "Would you like some help?" Elijah glanced into his older brother's eyes for some type of validation, but there was nothing there. It was the look of indifference. That meant that Elijah could dictate the answer. Elijah said, "Actually, you wouldn't mind would you?" Coraline said, "Not at all!" Elijah was grateful to have some help. James started to walk away from them, back down the path towards the house. Wybie said, "I know where there is a ton of firewood." Elijah grabbed his brother's shoulder and said, "Come on Bro. We need your help." James continued to walk away wordlessly. Soon he was out of sight.


	4. An Extroverted Young Man

Elijah watched his brother walk off in silence, not knowing what to say to bring him back. Coraline and Wybie came up behind him. Coraline said, "What's his problem?" Elijah said, "Don't worry about him. He's...not very social. He doesn't know how to interact with others very well. That's just him." Wybie said, "He doesn't seem to like us much." Elijah said, "No. It isn't that. According to him, all humans are jerk-asses until proven otherwise." Wybie said, "That's not cool." Elijah shrugged, saying"That's just the way he is. He's very gruff." Wybie decided to break the exchange, and said, "Anyway. We should be getting that wood, right? Follow me." Elijah followed the awkward boy, the blue-haired girl trotting behind them. The young boy took note of how dead the surrounding trees looked. The sight was melancholy indeed, the age of the land evident. In the distance, The Pink Palace loomed. The storm overhead from earlier still released a gentle drizzle of rain, casting a dismal fog over the landscape. The fog seemed almost sentient, moving among itself. However, Elijah knew that this was merely an optical illusion. The trio continued to venture deeper into the woods, making sure to be wary of the various creatures that could appear. They must have hiked for a few miles, because the Pink Palace, or any civilization for that matter, was entirely out of sight. After a while, they came upon their destination. Wybie stated, "Well, this is the spot." Elijah looked around. The young boy thought to himself, " _What do these two do in their spare time_?" They had come upon a rather sizable campsite. There was a large clearing of dirt and gravel that looked as if it had been made with great care and effort. In the center of the gravel clearing was a large fire pit, and had a metal grate over where the flame would be lit, most likely for cooking food. A ways off there was hand-made tent of tarp, rope, and several side overhangs to sit in the shade. Wybie showed him the inside of the contraption, pulling apart the flaps of the entrance. It was impressive, Elijah had to admit. On the tent floor was what looked like a solid slab of concrete, covered with a thin metal sheet, and there was more than enough room for two.

Coraline tugged Elijah's shoulder, gesturing at the camp-site with a wave of her hand, "And this is what happens when your best friend is a psycho-nerd whom knows way too much for someone his age." Wybie said in return, "It took a massive effort to make this place. It didn't take much money, but the blisters I got on my hands more than prove my point." Elijah said, "So, when do you two come out here?" Wybie said, "Well, we usually work on this place during the summer months. Jonesy has been a big-no, scratch that- my only help. It has taken us over a year to develop it this much. We are lucky no animals have destroyed it. We tried to use concrete, but we didn't have enough mixture for the whole thing. So, we made the bed space concrete and for the rest we mixed mud, dirt, and gravel." Elijah nodded and said, "I am impressed by your creativity." Wybie shook his head, "Nah. It was nothing." Coraline put in, "Our next project is to build a small fence with a gate. It will surround the site. We haven't been able to find any decent wood for fence posts though." Elijah said, "Well, maybe I can give you two a hand sometime." Wybie said, "Alright, sounds cool. Speaking of which, there's our objective." Elijah looked over, and sure enough, there was a sizable pile of logs. Beside the pile, an axe sat beside a sharpening bench. Elijah asked with surprise, "You two cut all of these? Aren't you a bit young to be working with an axe?" Coraline laughed out loud. "Don't be ridiculous. It isn't hard." Elijah said, "Alright, alright. How do we get some of this wood back to the house?" Coraline said, "Well, before Wybie grew a brain, he used to carry the wood up here." She struck an overly-dramatic pose, hands clasped by her head. "He was so dreamy, being tough and muscular." Either Wybie did not hear, was too embarrassed, or was lost in his thoughts, because he ignored the statement entirely. She hung her head, her moment spoiled. Wybie brought out a wagon from a slightly dilapidated shed that was in the corner of the campsite. He said smiling smugly, "Well, Jonesy, my brain works harder than my muscles." Elijah couldn't help but laugh hard at his statement. Coraline gave him a death glare in return.

After a lengthy effort of the trio loading the wood, launching immature insults at one another and finding the right direction home, Elijah was pulling the wagon ahead of the other two. He had enjoyed his time with these two. They proved to be great company. James really missed out. The Pink Palace came into view, the fog having lifted. The storm had ended hours ago, although it was still a dull overcast above. Wybie said, "So, what exactly is your brother like?" Elijah said, "He's complex. I do not know where to begin." Coraline said, "I don't want to sound rude but he seems...cold." Elijah said, "Yeah. He scares me a lot of the time, I admit." Wybie said, "His eyes are kind of chilling as well. A lifeless grey." Elijah said, "Yeah I know. He's so damn hard to read. I never know what he is thinking." Coraline laughed and said, "How to get away with murder?" Elijah did not like that comment. But, he decided to play it off. "Hey, take it easy. He's not that bad."Wybie said, "I'd like to get to know him more." Coraline nodded in agreement. They had gotten down the foot of the hill path, making their way around the house. James was nowhere to be found. They made their way to the front porch, and Wybie said, "Well, here's your wood." Elijah said, "Would you like to come in for a moment? James won't care." Immediately, Elijah could visibly see Coraline and Wybie clearly did not feel comfortable with that suggestion. Coraline spoke first, "Nah, we have some things to do ourselves. I have to walk this jerk-wad home. I need to be back before dinner or mom will murder me." Wybie laughed and said, "Yeah, her mother is scary when she's mad." Coraline said, "Not as scary as your grandmother." Elijah couldn't help but join in the chuckling from that. Wybie said to Elijah, "Hey, you can borrow the wagon for a while if you need it. It was my grandfather's so please be careful with it." Elijah nodded and said, "Alright. I'll make sure of it." Coraline said, "School has been cancelled for the next two days because the boiler in the school went out. That's why Wybie and I were here so early today, otherwise, we'd still be in school. And since today is Wednesday, that basically means a 5 day vacation. Want to hang out again tomorrow?" Elijah said, "I'll ask bro when I see him." Coraline and Wybie both nodded, seemingly happy from the answer. The two teens waved Elijah a final farewell before walking away from the porch, vanishing from sight. Elijah turned, opening the door and walking in.

Evening had began to settle, and the house had slowly grown dark. He could smell something cooking in the kitchen, and followed the scent. James was making some sort of stew with the ingredients they had gotten from the store. Elijah walked over and said, "Where did you get the pots and pans from?" James merely grunted, making it clear that he was too busy to speak. Elijah sat in the kitchen and waited patiently for the food to be completed. The smell tortured his senses. He was just beginning to realize how hungry he really was. The younger sibling removed his jacket and felt the heat from the stove wash over him. It was soothing, making his eyelids feel heavy. James was silent, the only sound coming from him were the slight clangs of metal. A bowl was set in front of Elijah suddenly, and a spoon was placed in the young boy's hand. The stew looked strange, but after tasting it, Elijah was hooked. James was very talented, yet bizarre when it came to cooking. He could make the strangest-looking dishes while making them taste great. James sat in his chair opposite Elijah, and proceeded to enjoy his meal. James spoke softly, yet in that aloof, cold manner of his, "I got the dishes from a box on the porch. There was no note on who left it, so I took a guess and thought that it was a gift from the land-lady." Elijah nodded in response. James continued, "We are going to the grocery store tomorrow to get more food rations and a larger supply cache. We will get enough to last until my job starts."Elijah said, "Alright." The two sat in silence for several minutes, thoroughly enjoying their meal. It was pleasant, to say the least. Elijah took a breath and said, "I had fun with Coraline and Wybie." James merely kept eating. Elijah continued, "They seem to know almost everything about the terrain around here." James softly spoke, "It is no surprise. They are socially isolated here. I have not seen the neighbors yet." Elijah said, "Apparently, school is cancelled due to the boiler being out. They get a five day vacation virtually." James said, "Education is important. However, the way school does it...well...it is inefficient to say the least." Elijah nodded and said, "They want to hang out tomorrow. Can I go with them?" James rose one eyebrow. Elijah realized his mistake and said, "May I go with them?" James merely grunted in response and nodded. Elijah smiled and said, "Thanks!" James finished his food and told his younger brother, "Rinse off your plate and silverware." Elijah did as asked. James went to the sitting room, and Elijah retrieved the wood, hauling the first load to the destined fireplace. When he got there, Elijah's jaw dropped. James must have been busy. There was a large pile of firewood in the corner. The older sibling went over to the pit and used the two stones to make a spark,and he lit the flame. Elijah continued to load the wood into the pile while James tended to the fire. It did not take long to get it done, however, and soon enough, the two brothers had settled themselves on the floor in front of the fireplace. James spoke, "I still have not spoken to anybody about the furnace. I must get a hold of the land-lady in the next few days. Ms. Rosaline seems like she is easy to work with." Elijah merely sat there, listening to his brother talk.

James looked over at his brother, and said, "So..Tell me of your new comrades." Elijah said, "They are really cool, man. Wybie is, according to Coraline, a psycho-nerd. He is really smart for his age. Coraline is a tomboy. And she is really tough. She is the dominant of the two. She's got a lot more confidence than Wybie does." James said, "I agree. I noticed he stutters slightly. It isn't bad, but you can hear it." Elijah said, "You should see their campsite. It is fairly large. They hand-made most of it." James rose one eyebrow, "Really?" Elijah nodded in happiness, "It is so cool. It took them over a year to make. It is quite impressive." James said, "Did they mention anything of the neighbors?" Elijah shook his head, "They never really brought that up. Neither did I." James said, "Very well. It sounds like you enjoyed yourself. However, young man. Do be mindful of whom you become close to." Elijah said, "I know. But I'm trying to be optimistic about this." James gave Elijah a look of uncertainty, grey eyes full of cynicism.


End file.
